


The Fall of the Rising Sun

by svana_vrika



Category: Saiyuki
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Vampire, Angst, Betrayal, First Time, M/M, Mild Gore, Mildly Dubious Consent, Soul Bond, Vampire Sex
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-02-24
Updated: 2016-02-24
Packaged: 2018-05-22 22:09:50
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 18,620
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6095568
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/svana_vrika/pseuds/svana_vrika
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>He was meant to be the heir to a dynasty, but when fate intervened, he inherited the darkness, instead.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Fall of the Rising Sun

**Author's Note:**

  * For [blackazuresoul](https://archiveofourown.org/users/blackazuresoul/gifts).



> Disclaimer: The following is written solely for fun, and no infringement is intended. Saiyuki and the scenarios and characters involved are the intellectual property of Minekura Kazuya.
> 
> Author's notes: Many thanks to my awesome and amazing beta. I’d be lost without you! Thanks also go to everyone who encouraged me and listened to me whine through the tough spots. And thanks to you as well, dear requestor. You presented me with one of the toughest writing challenges I’ve ever had to face, and it makes me happy to know that I was able to rise to the task. Finally, my apologies for any discrepancies or twisting of the religions and histories I used. I did my best to be as accurate as I could be while incorporating them into my fic. Betaed by seshats_prodigy but I touched it last. All mistakes are my own
> 
> AU story written off of prompts for the 2010 DreamWidth Saiyuki Seventh Night Challenge

_He was supposed to be the next rising sun, or so said the legends of old. The emperor and his loyal followers had put their faith and hope in him, the shining new star who would bring peace and prosperity to the land and its people But, before it could fully rise, the sun vanished into the darkness, and the emperor and his dynasty fell into ruin instead._

_He had been born into a family of nobility: the first and only son of Emperor Hung Taiji’s most trusted advisor and friend. Out of deference to his leader, the new father had passed the rite of naming on to Hung Taiji, and on the third day, the emperor himself had held the child as his name had been proclaimed to the court: Naran, the Mongol word for sun, so chosen to honor the vital bond between his people, the Manchu, and their Mongol allies._

_It had quickly become evident to Hung Taiji’s people that the emperor was taken with the infant, and those who had been fortunate enough to see Naran couldn’t blame him. He had been a beautiful child, with eyes the color of the ruler’s favorite bellflowers and hair just as golden as his namesake, the sun._

_On Naran’s Hundredth Day celebration, it had again been Hung Taiji who had presented him, the emperor’s own long life lock around the baby’s neck. Whispers had rustled through the courtroom, some amused, some speculative, but they all had been silenced as if they’d been a single voice when the ruler had held up the infant for all to see. Breaking with the ancient tradition, Naran’s head had not been shaved, Hung Taiji again extolling the child as a symbol of the unbreakable bond between the two peoples- the brilliant and beautiful sun who would bring good fortune to his dynasty for years to come._

_The festivities hadn’t ended even, when the whispers had started again. It had seemed to many that it would only be a matter of time before the childless emperor declared Naran his heir. Most of the courtiers had been relieved by the notion; Naran’s father was an honorable man who had served well in many battles, and they felt that their ruler would indeed ensure the continued prosperity of their people should the rumors become truth. But, there had also been those who hadn’t been pleased by the thought. Naran’s mother was a Mongol and though the practice of intermarriage between the nobility of the two clans had been going on for decades, they were against the full integration of the tribal nation into their society. Everyone knew that Hung Taiji would never have become emperor had it not been for the Mongols joining forces with the Manchu, and the dissidents couldn’t help but be suspicious that the emperor’s (potential!) decision was some form of political payoff to the other side._

_As Naran’s first birthday had approached, the rumors had escalated, and so too had the dissention amongst the people. The disgruntled courtiers hadn’t been idle during the time that had passed. Deliberately, they’d let their suspicions make their way slowly down the ranks, and many commoners who hadn’t been persuaded by their logic had been convinced by their darkly promised threats. Naturally, there had been those who had remained staunchly loyal to their leader, but by the time the birthday celebration had dawned, Hung Taiji’s people had been in a definite state of unrest._

_On the morning of Naran’s **Zhuazhou** , the emperor had put the rumors to rest, proclaiming the boy as his official heir. The day had been declared a holiday; there had been an elaborate banquet at court, and at night, a fireworks display unlike any Hung Taiji’s people had seen before. Drink had flowed freely amongst the courtiers and commoners alike, and as the merrymaking had progressed, tongues had loosened. By nightfall, the emperor had heard enough to confirm the vague whispers that had reached his ears over the preceding months. Fearing for his newly declared heir, he and Naran’s father had immediately begun their own plotting to eliminate the dissidents who would threaten Hung Taiji’s dynasty, and to keep the boy safe until the danger had passed. _

_Three months later, as the year of the rabbit had drawn near its end, they had been ready to implement their plan. In order to avoid suspicion, Hung Taiji had proceeded with the traditional New Year’s preparations, and temporarily setting aside their differences, the people had made ready to celebrate the dawn of the year of the dragon with their emperor and his heir. On the night of **Chu Xi** , in the midst of the festivities, Naran’s father had left in secret with the child, taking him many miles away to a destination known only to the emperor and himself. _

_However, before Hung Taiji’s advisor could return and they could seek revenge on the would-be traitors, the dissidents had learned of the ruse. Enraged by the emperor’s cunning, and knowing their lives were forfeit anyway, Hung Taiji’s enemies had risen up against him, and by the time Naran’s father had arrived home from his mission, his ruler had been dead and the two races had been at war. The advisor had done his best to rally what loyalists had remained, but he’d fallen in battle within days of his return, the last remnants of Hung Taiji’s dynasty falling with him. As for the child, he’d never been seen nor heard from again._

Naran rolled his eyes as he all but slammed the book closed. He’d neither vanished nor been killed. No, his fate had been much worse than that. The blond snorted as he disdainfully tossed the ancient tome onto his desk. Though, he supposed, they had gotten the _fall into darkness_ part right.

“Well?” 

Violet eyes flicked upward to meet questioning gold, and a small scowl settled onto Naran’s lips. Godehard was trying his best to hide it, but his anxiety hung thick in the air, and after having spent so many years with the other, he knew precisely what it meant. The youthful brunet had taken it into his foolish mind to worry about him again, and he wouldn’t have a moment’s peace unless he humored him- or beat it out of his system. The blond’s scowl deepened. And doing that would only get the _other_ two on his ass. “Well what?” 

The hopeful smile faltered slightly. “Don’t you like it?” 

“You’ve got to be kidding me.” He rolled his eyes when hurt flickered through the boy’s gaze. Apparently, he hadn’t been. “It’s a useless faerie tale. You’ve known me long enough to realize I don’t have any use for that sort of thing.” 

“It’s not a faerie tale!” Godehard sputtered, his disappointment driving him to the defensive. “It’s _historical_! It says so right on the cover! _A History of Dynastical China_! So it’s not fake or useless, either one! And you’re the one always going on about how the past can teach us and stuff, so I thought you’d like it! You know, that maybe it would cheer you up! Especially since-“ He stopped abruptly. Naran’s eyes had narrowed and taken on a dangerous look, one that told him he was treading toward hazardous territory. “Never mind.” 

“No. Continue.” Violet eyes hardened further. “I insist.” 

Godehard swallowed nervously. “Well, it’s about you, isn’t it? Golden hair, violet eyes, the name…” He trailed off, fidgeting anxiously as his gaze darted toward the blond’s desk. Naran wasn’t a conventional monk by _any_ stretch of the imagination, but he did hold to some traditions, including doling out punishment with the yardstick that was never out of his reach. And Naran’s list of punishable offences was extensive to say the least, with stupidity and poking one’s nose into his business ranking precariously close to the top. However, the blond merely continued to stare at him, which made him even _more_ nervous, to the point where he wished he’d just hurry up, hit him, and get it over with before it _really_ hurt. “Well?”

Naran gazed at him another moment, and then he pursed his lips together tightly and shook his head. “No,” he said flatly, turning his back on the boy. “It isn’t me. That Naran died long ago.” 

Godehard blinked at the unexpected response- or lack thereof. “Well… yeah,” he replied hesitantly, his confusion making him lose sight of the fact that he’d come through unscathed thus far, and should probably leave well enough alone. “I knew _that_. But still-“ His words ended abruptly when, in one fluid motion, the priest turned, grabbed the ruler and smacked him sharply on top of the head. “Alright! God!” Scowling petulantly, he skulked his way to the exit, and then he stopped, his shoulders slumping slightly as his peevishness gave way to hurt. “I don’t know why you gotta be like that,” he murmured before turning the knob. “I’m just worried about you, is all.” And then he stepped out, pulling the door closed behind him.

“Who asked you to?” Naran muttered crossly to the empty room, and then he turned toward his desk again, a derisive snort escaping him when his eyes landed on the book. He didn’t know why the hell Godehard would have thought _that_ might have cheered him up, but it was obvious the boy was an idiot. It wasn’t even a happy story, and what had happened in the years following that particular tale’s end simply made it even more unpleasant. 

The blond sighed as he put down his yardstick and picked up his cigarettes. He supposed that wasn’t _entirely_ accurate. Some of the memories he had were good, even if it was painful to recollect them. An image of kind hazel eyes and a patient smile flitted through Naran’s mind, and his lips curved up slightly as he moved to the window to light up. Over a hundred and fifty years later, and he could still see Wei-shan as clearly as if he were sitting there, smoking beside him.

Naran was familiar with the story of his birth. Wei-shan had felt it was important that he knew precisely who he was, even after it had become evident that the emperor’s plan had gone awry. But Naran had no recollection of either his parents or of Hung Taiji. The only father he’d ever known had been the soft-spoken, gentle monk who had taken him in that New Year’s night long ago, and who had raised him as his own son when no one had ever returned for him. 

The years he’d spent under Wei-shan’s care had been pleasant ones. The monk had nurtured and educated him, and Naran had loved him dearly, knowing without a doubt that he was loved in return. Though his life had been a far cry from the legacy that had been intended for him, he’d never once felt as if he’d been lacking. He’d been provided for and cared for, and he’d even had a ‘family’, the lesser monks having doted on him like so many proud uncles with a favored nephew. Protected and loved, he’d been happy in the isolated monastery, and he’d never once despaired about his stolen destiny. He’d been perfectly content to live the simple life and remain at Wei-shan’s side. Naran snorted as he exhaled into the night air. But Fate hadn’t been finished fucking with him yet. 

One night, in the winter of his sixteenth year, a stranger had stumbled to the monastery, begging for shelter from the weather. Naran had heard the knock on his way to the common room for evening tea, and after answering, he’d helped the barely conscious man indoors before going for Wei-shan and the others. The kindly monks had taken pity on the stranger as was their way, no thought of any potential danger crossing their minds. The war that had robbed Naran of his birthright had ended well over a decade ago, and the boy had been part of their lives for so long that no one had given any thought to the secret they’d harbored all those years, Naran and Wei-shan included. The only thing on their minds was doing what they could to help the half-frozen man by showing compassion to another through right intention, as per their teachings. 

Naran scowled as he ground out his cigarette and lit up another. Instead of being blessed for their generosity, the gods had shown their true colors by punishing them for their naiveté instead. Four months later, the man had returned with the spring rains, not to thank the monks for their charity, but to kill the boy he’d immediately recognized as Hung Taiji’s heir when they’d taken him in during that storm.

He’d come again at night, and he’d brought others with him, the small group of would-be assassins stealthily making their way onto the dark grounds, and using the rain to mask their presence as they’d sought out their target’s whereabouts. The sound of Koumyou’s window breaking had been the priest’s only warning, and seconds later, the strangers had been in his master’s room, demanding Wei-shan turn over the child so that the insurgents could finally put an end to Hung Taiji’s dynasty. Wei-shan had tried to reason with them, to tell them that Naran wasn’t a threat, but they wouldn’t believe he had no desire to take up the defunct emperor’s mantle and seek revenge on the people who had robbed him of his birthright so many years ago. Enraged by Wei-shan’s refusal, they’d drawn their blades and had attacked, and the monk had been forced to call upon his Dharmic powers to defend himself and his charge. 

By the time the small skirmish had ended, only two of the insurgents had been left, and realizing that it was either flee or die like their comrades, they had dropped their weapons and had run. Enraged by the stranger’s betrayal of their kindness, Naran had given chase, but he’d frozen in his tracks when he’d seen Wei-shan drop to the floor from the corner of his eye. His anger turning to fear, he’d ran to his guardian instead, the attackers all but forgotten as he’d knelt by the older male and had seen the copious amounts of blood staining his robe. Frantically, he’d called out for the others, but by the time the healer had gotten there, it had been too late. Wei-shan had died in his arms without ever regaining consciousness. The blond’s scowl deepened. Though he wouldn’t realize it until several years later, turning back as he had that night and letting those two men go had been the stupidest mistake of his life. 

A soft knock to Naran’s door pulled him back to the present, and his eyes narrowed slightly in annoyance when he recognized the aura on the other side. For a second, he considered ignoring it, but he also knew that it would only be delaying the inevitable, and that he’d be lectured for having done so in addition to whatever else the other had to say. “Come,” he answered brusquely and promptly lit another cigarette, violet eyes catching acid green through the window’s reflection as soon as the brunet opened the door. “If this is about Godehard, I don’t want to hear it,” he stated, effectively cutting the taller male off. “He should have known better than to bring me that damned book in the first place.” 

“My, my.” Eber smirked a bit as he stepped into the room. “Is that a guilty conscience I’m detecting, Naran? If so, then good. After all, the poor boy was only-“ 

“Tch.” The blond rolled his eyes as he cut him off. “Worried about me. I know. But I’ve told him time and again he needn’t bother with his asinine coddling.” He took an impatient drag from his cigarette, eyes narrowing as he exhaled. “Maybe one day he’ll get it through his thick head and just leave me the hell alone.” 

“Hn. That isn’t the way it works, I’m afraid,” Eber replied, unfazed by Naran’s irritation. “Just because you don’t believe it’s necessary, it doesn’t mean he feels the same way. His concern is his to give to whom he chooses, regardless as to whether they want it or not.” His expression softened slightly. “And he isn’t the only one. Marko and I have been worried as well. We all know why you despise this time of year so, but it seems worse than normal for some reason.” His gaze drifted toward the book and then widened slightly. “Naran, how long has it been since-“ 

“Long enough,” he snapped, turning to glare at the other, and ignoring the frustration that flitted through Eber’s eyes at having been interrupted yet again. The brunet’s intuition was definitely useful, but sometimes it could be a major pain in his ass. “Now, was there an actual _purpose_ behind your intrusion, or were you simply looking to annoy me with your inane lecturing? If so, then you can consider your mission accomplished.” 

Anger flared dangerously in Eber’s gaze for a moment, and then he pursed his lips together tightly, forcing himself to calm. Naran was deliberately trying to piss him off, which proved that he’d been close to the mark. There _was_ something different about that particular fall that had him in a darker mood than usual. God knew they’d been together long enough for him to recognize the blond’s tells. And whatever it was, Godehard’s gift had merely exacerbated it. He felt a flicker of sympathy then, both for the boy and for the priest, and with it, the last of his own anger dissipated. He knew well enough how it was to be reminded of things one would rather forget. 

“No,” he finally replied quietly. “I didn’t come to berate you about Godehard, or to annoy you by reminding you that there are those that care about you. Tomorrow marks the first day of the new session, and the novices will be arriving in a few hours. And knowing your current state of mind, I thought you’d like time to prepare. You tend to dine less frequently when you’re in one of your moods, and it wouldn’t do for you to greet them weakened and with an empty stomach.” He smirked a bit when his smart-assed comment actually drew a small, amused snort from the priest. “Marko took the liberty of procuring your dinner tonight when he went for ours. We didn’t figure you’d wish to go out.” He moved toward the door. “It’s waiting for you in the den. I’ll be by later to clean up after you’re done.” 

Naran remained where he was for several moments after Eber had gone, and then, with a sigh, he pushed himself up from the window seat. As much as he hated to admit it, the brunet was right. He needed to fortify himself before he had to face the new arrivals. A small smirk curved his lips upward as he left his room and made his way down the hall. Besides, Marko wasn’t good for much, but he did have a discerning palate, and the redhead knew his tastes. He was sure that he would find himself well sated by the offering. 

As he neared the den, he caught the scent of his meal, and for the slightest moment he paused, his eyes sinking closed and a slow, almost cruel smirk curving his lips upward at the euphoric sensation of his hunger coursing through his body. When he opened them again, the violet was considerably darker, and the earlier irritants were all but forgotten as his mind focused solely on sating his appetite. 

The room was dark when he entered, save for the flickering glow of the fire, and his smirk widened as he stepped in and shut the door. Eber knew him even better than Marko did, and the brunet had made certain to set the ambiance Naran favored to ensure that the blond would enjoy his meal to the fullest extent. As for his dinner… Keen violet eyes sought out the source of the soft breathing he could hear mingled with the crackling of the flames, and the dark pleasure in his gaze deepened when he saw the treat that had been procured for him. Marko had done very well indeed. 

His hunger intensifying to an almost painful extent, he silently crossed over to the chaise, hatred burning darkly in his narrowed eyes as he looked down at the unconscious figure splayed out on thick, protective canvas. The male was younger than his usual wont, but he had the desired characteristics: the raven hair, ivory skin and slender build of the man who had set him upon his hell bound path by robbing him of his master so long ago. 

Growling lowly in his throat, Naran knelt before his victim, half hoping he would awaken so that he would have the pleasure of seeing the terror in the other’s eyes. However, the chime of the clock reminded him that he didn’t really have time to play; the novices would be arriving soon, and he had to feed to keep up the farce. Perhaps later, in the dark, quiet hours after vespers, he’d leave the abbey and _entertain_ himself a little. Eber had been right; it had been far too long since he’d indulged in the euphoric pleasure of a hunt. 

His actions almost gentle compared to the brutality that would follow, Naran brought a hand up and tangled his fingers in the raven tresses to turn the youth’s head to the side. His eyes pitch black with his hunger, he lowered his mouth to his victim’s neck, the thick, tainted vitae that lay dormant in his veins shifting restlessly in response to the promise of the hot, fresh blood that pulsed just beneath the seductively beating flesh. With another carnal growl, Naran finally gave in to his hunger, his lips curling back to reveal his elongated canines for a split second before he effortlessly bit through the soft, flawless skin covering the carotid artery. Blood from the capillaries and venules instantly flowed over his tongue, and the blond gave a low, thick groan, his body already eagerly responding to the unique, yet familiar tang of the other’s life force. As the first tendrils of warmth wended their way through the blond’s lifeless body, his hand tightened further in his victim’s hair, and he deepened the bite to get to the rich, oxygenated blood he so needed and craved. However, before he could puncture the vessel, a searing pain jolted through his _own_ neck, the sensation severe enough to where he jerked away from his meal, leaving two jagged tears in the flesh. Cursing roughly, he looked down at the youth again, his eyes widening and a chill running through his tormented body when he discovered the source of the interruption: the thick, pewter Tau pendant presented to those entering the Franciscan Order upon the completion of their initiatory rites. He’d dealt with crosses and crucifixes before; it had become a necessary part of the ruse when he’d infiltrated the Catholic order after arriving in Europe. But he’d always been _painstakingly_ careful not to touch the emblems themselves, only ever handling them by their chains, or when wearing the white gloves that were part of his vestments. 

For a long moment, he simply knelt there, staring in disbelief, and then, with an infuriated snarl, he got to his feet and strode from the room, swiftly making his way to the chambers Eber shared with Marko. Not even bothering to knock, he stalked into their small study, the scent of freshly spilled blood only driving his anger that much higher. Ignoring Eber’s surprised gasp, he closed in on the feeding redhead, roughly fisting the crimson tresses and jerking the younger vampire away from his meal. “You stupid _fuck_!” Enraged and still lost in his blood lust, Marko lashed out violently at the blond, but Naran’s age gave him superior strength and speed, and effortlessly, he pinned the other to the wall, dropping his hand from Marko’s hair to his neck to hold him there. 

“Naran!” Eber warily approached the pissed off blond, his expression a mixture of abject confusion, and anger over the manhandling of his mate. Had it been anyone else, they would have been dead where they stood, but he’d dealt with the older vampire long enough to know that there must be _some_ reason for his actions. “Now let’s be reasonable, shall we?” he began lightly, flashing Naran a benign smile, “Whatever Marko has done, he can’t very well confess to it with crushed vocal cords.” Green eyes flashed warningly at the angry priest; friend or not, there was only so much he would tolerate. “Let him go, and then we can discuss whatever happened. _Now_ ,” he added, his voice growing dark and dangerous when the blond’s hand briefly tightened around Marko’s throat. 

Naran persisted a second longer, and then with a disgusted snort, he let the redhead go, turning his angry gaze onto Eber instead. “What _happened_ ,” he began in a growling tone, “is that this moron of yours brought me a novice to feed upon. One of the novices assigned to _this_ abbey!” He whirled upon Marko again. “What the hell were you thinking, bringing him here like that? With the various mediatisations happening, we’re precariously close to losing _Oberamt Mosbach_ to secularization as it is! The last thing we need is to draw unfavorable attention from the Empire!” His eyes narrowed. “Unless, of course, you’re that desperate to leave the protection of Mosbach to try and find some _other_ way to blend in and survive amongst the mortals. If so, then be my guest. But don’t you _dare_ expose me through your stupidity in your eagerness to do so!” 

Despite the petulance that lingered in Marko’s gaze, he shook his head in the negative. He’d been turned at the abbey. Had been claimed by Eber as his mate there, Naran’s promise of protection offering his lover the peace of mind he’d needed to draw him into his world. It was the only home he’d known in his immortal life. Hell, it was the only true home he’d known, And he knew that he and Godehard both owed their existence to the protection with which the blond (grudgingly, at times!) had provided them. “It wasn’t like that at all, Naran! I mean, come on, I’m not that stupid!” He scowled when he heard the priest’s derisive snort. “Fuck you! I’m serious! I mean, I saw the group of kids waiting at the station for the ‘coach, but he wasn’t with them. He was off by himself, hanging around with some drunk in the alley.” He gave the priest his best winsome smile. “I knew right away he was perfect for you, so I waited until the old man wandered off, then I snagged him.” His grin widened slightly and he crossed over to the priest, draping an arm around Naran’s narrow shoulders. “Besides, what’s the big deal, anyway? It’s not like the kid’s gonna be able to tell anyone about us _now_.” He laughed darkly. 

With an impatient growl, Naran shrugged out of Marko’s quasi embrace, roughly shoving the redhead toward the wall again. “He was likely ministering, you idiot! And did you not hear a word I said? I didn’t kill him, you fucking moron! We would have had officials from Rome and the Empire both on our asses asking questions about his disappearance if I would have!” 

Marko shrugged, his thoughts already wandering back to his own interrupted meal. “So when he wakes up, just tell him he was brought here unconscious. He’ll think that the old drunk attacked him, and that’ll be the end of it.” 

Naran pinched the bridge of his nose in frustration. “It’s not that simple, you fool. I didn’t kill him, but I did start to feed from him. The only reason I stopped was because of this.” He pulled his longish hair back from his neck and showed them the cross-shaped mark that the Tau pendant had seared into his flesh. “He has two small gashes in his neck from where I jerked away at the burn, but I didn’t bite deep enough to drain him,” he continued, subconsciously darting his tongue over his lips as he turned his gaze to the brunet, his body aching longingly for the vitae it had been denied. “Tend to him, please. And not just the wounds I left him with. God only knows what he’ll remember subconsciously, but do what you can with your herb lore to ensure he thinks it was only a dream.” 

Eber nodded, his eyes narrowing as he intently assessed the priest. “And what about you?” 

The blond scowled slightly and ran his hand down his face. “Tell them I’m indisposed.” He snorted. “It’s not that far from the truth. I don’t have time to hunt before they get here, and I certainly can’t greet them as I am now.” 

The green-eyed vampire shook his head and gave Naran a small smile. “That wasn’t what I was speaking of, I’m afraid. And you _can_ feed.” He nodded toward the corner, where a young, curvaceous woman with dark brown hair and frightened green eyes sat bound and gagged, tearfully watching their every move. “I know she’s not what you’d typically choose, but she would take the edge off your hunger.” He paused for a moment, and then continued delicately, “I’m concerned for you, Naran. You drank but you didn’t feed. You’ve taken in his essence. It’s mingled with your own, and I can already see your desire and longing for him in your eyes. He may not have reciprocated to finalize the bond, but the framework has been laid in place.” He looked searchingly into Naran’s gaze again. “Are you going to be able to resist its call?” 

The blond pursed his lips together tightly and turned from Eber’s gaze, once again silently cursing the brunet for his intuition. And it didn’t help that, as usual, the green-eyed male was right. He _wanted_ the youth now. Even from corridors away, the scent of his vitae called out to him, he only knew two ways to quench the desire that now competed with his physical hunger. But killing him wasn’t an option, and he wouldn’t turn him. Immortal didn’t mean indestructible, and he refused to expose himself to the risk of loss that bonding with someone in that manner could bring to him. Not when he still felt the pain of Wei-shan’s death after so many years. 

“I’ll be fine,” he finally muttered as he crossed over to the woman, the annoyance in his gaze growing when he heard her cry out through her gag. “Go and see to the novice.” Growling lowly, he roughly grabbed the sobbing female’s chin, twisting her head sharply and snapping her neck, finally silencing her muffled cries. “Make sure everything is in order with him by the time I’m done with the others. Once we’re certain that there’s no risk of exposure, I’ll see what I can do about getting him transferred to another abbey.” Eber nodded and then moved toward the door, but not before Naran caught the lingering concern in the acid green eyes. Mentally cursing the brunet for encouraging his _own_ doubts, he turned back to his victim, a fistful of the woman’s hair coming loose in his hand as he tightened his grip and bit into her neck. The blood was still warm and it did soothe his hunger, but even as he drank, his unsated desire for the raven-haired novice cried out in agony as it was once again denied what it wanted the most.

By the time the remainder of the novitiates arrived, Naran was able to step into his role, the dead woman’s vitae having provided him with enough of the life force necessary to bring warmth and color to his flesh for the hour or so he needed to pull off his ruse. And, if his irritation over earlier events made him more brusque and impatient with the new arrivals than usual, then so much the better. Hopefully, they would spread word of his demeanor to their absent colleague, and save for catechism and vespers, they would _all_ stay the hell away. 

However, as time continued to pass, it became evident that the raven-haired boy, David at least, hadn’t been deterred. While the others would turn to _anyone_ else to avoid dealing with the surly priest one-on-one, it was just the opposite with the raven. He showed respect and deference to the other priests at the abbey but it was the blond to whom he devoted himself the most, seeking his attention and approval over all the others, almost as if he could sense the unintentional bond that had been created that night. No matter what Naran did or how cruelly he acted, David continued to dote on the priest, and though the blond did his best both to fight and deny it, he began to find it increasingly more difficult to ignore and reject the younger male. David was so innocent and so eager to please, and the more Naran let himself interact with the novice, the stronger his possessiveness and desire grew. The raven’s presence and scent constantly beckoned to him, reminding him of his unfinished claim. 

True to his word, Naran _had_ contacted the diocese to see about having him transferred, but when the archbishop hadn't replied, he'd made no move to inquire again. It was too risky, he'd said, ignoring Eber’s knowing look, and glaring down Marko and Godehard’s suspicious ones. Any further requests would draw unwanted attention to the monastery. The diocese would want to know _why_ he was being so persistent, and what would he tell them? There wasn’t a single blemish on David’s record, and he refused to propagate one and ruin the youth’s career over something that had been _their_ mistake.

Marko’s lips curved down into a scowl as that cool gaze fell on him. “And by ‘our’, you really mean me, don’t you? For fuck’s sake, Naran, it’s been three months, and as I’ve said all along, I didn’t know! Don’t you think it’s time to let it go already?” His eyes narrowed slightly. “Why don’t you just admit it? You don’t _want_ to send him away, and you’re only blaming me because you don’t want to take responsibility for whatever might happen yourself!” 

Naran growled and pushed himself up from his chair, and ignoring the equally ominous sound from Eber, he strode toward the redhead. 

“Why don’t you turn him?” 

The blond stopped in his tracks and whirled upon Godehard instead, but the golden-eyed youth was unfazed by the anger burning in Naran’s gaze. “I mean it. You hunger for him and it’s obvious he’s taken with you.” He grinned widely. “He looks at you the same way my brother did Eber before he finally convinced him to take him as his mate,” he continued, turning a teasing look to the now blushing redhead before returning his attention to the priest. “You don’t want to send him away, so you should turn him. That’s what I would do, anyway.” 

Naran snorted, his gaze narrowing cruelly at the younger male. “What _you_ would do? Please, spare me the romantic rhetoric. You’re just a boy, and you’re not even one of us. You can’t possibly fathom the true meaning behind what it is you would have me do, so just keep quiet!” 

“I know enough,” Godehard replied quietly, obviously stung by the harsh remark, hurt flitting through his gaze as it darted toward his brother and his mate. “I know it means you get to be with the one you love the most forever.” His shoulders slumping slightly, he made his way out of the den, his footsteps breaking into a run as soon as he was out of the older males’ sight. 

“Damn it, Naran!” Marko’s fists were clenched as if he wanted to strike the blond, but the taunt in the other’s eyes convinced him otherwise, both of them knowing he was no match for the older vampire. “You’re such a fucking prick,” he muttered, and then he left as well, calling out his brother’s name as he stepped into the hallway. 

“Why did you say that?” Naran turned toward Eber, his irritation mounting when he saw the disappointment and disapproval in the brunet’s gaze. The last thing he wanted right then was a lecture on top of everything else, but as usual, the other ignored the warning in his eyes. “You know how badly Godehard desires this existence, as misguided and as simplistic as his reasoning might be. He understands that Marko wants him to have the freedom to follow his heart when the time is right, but it doesn’t make it any easier for him to bear. At the moment, his brother _is_ the most important one in his life.” His expression softened slightly. “I know why you hesitate, Naran. You’re afraid of what might happen should you permit yourself to love again. It’s the same way I felt for so many years after Rebekah’s betrayal. I _never_ wanted to bond that intimately with someone again. I managed to free her from Riesenlaufer’s clutches, but when that bastard turned me instead, it didn’t matter to her that I’d saved her humanity. All she could see was the monster that I had become, and when the villagers failed to kill me after she exposed me to them, she took her own life so she wouldn’t have to live with the shame of having her name tied to a blasphemous being such as myself.” He moved toward the door and then paused again, seeking out Naran’s gaze once more. “I know you’ve been dealing with Wei-shan’s death much longer, and that the two situations aren’t even remotely the same. But my point is that if I can let go and take the risk again after a betrayal such as hers, then you can, too.” He smirked a bit. “Unless you’re content with the thought of spending the rest of your immortal life wallowing in self pity, loneliness and despair. Then that’s up to you. Frankly, I think a century and a half is plenty long enough, but if that’s the path you choose, then kindly refrain from taking it out on us.” 

Naran glared after Eber’s retreating figure, and he turned away as soon as the door was closed, a scowl curving his lips downward as he stalked over to the window to light up a cigarette. If anything, the green-eyed male’s words were one more reason as to why he should just leave well enough alone. He already had enough people meddling in his life. His eyes narrowed as he exhaled a thin stream of smoke into the dusky sky. It was times like this that he wondered what the hell he’d been thinking when he’d taken them in. 

He’d come to Europe in 1727, arriving in Portugal with a returning mission ship under the ruse of learning more about Catholicism so that he could go back and spread the word to his ‘pagan brothers’. He’d grown tired of the political struggles and myriad wars that had continued to beset his country as the Qing Dynasty had struggled to make its place in the world. Beyond that, he’d known he couldn’t stay in China forever. The fervor to find Hung Taiji’s lost heir had died when the Ming and Manchu clans had ceased their warring and had formed an alliance, finally guaranteeing their people a position of formidable power within the tumultuous nation. However, given the difference in his appearance compared to the majority of his race, he’d realized that he wouldn’t be able to protect the secret of his existence by moving between the smaller, more remote temples forever. He’d seen various Europeans numerous times by then, and he’d known he would have an easier time blending in. Beyond that, he would have the added protection of several different countries to move through to avoid suspicion over his continued youthful appearance. Needless to say, the European missionaries had been more than happy to have him accompany them, and if they’d thought it strange that his ‘seasickness’ struck him hardest during the day, they’d been far too polite (and desperate for his conversion!) to mention it. 

The ship had landed in port on a cold, rainy morning in January, and in the fog of the dawn, he’d slipped away from the Jesuits. He’d never learned what had become of them, and he’d long since forgotten their names, but the time they’d spent ‘ministering’ to him during the journey from China to Europe had provided him with the religious and linguistic knowledge he’d needed to establish himself in this new land. Passing himself off as a traveling priest, he’d worked his way through Spain and into France, finding the cool dimness of the European monasteries just as conducive to moving about during the day as he had the ones in his homeland. 

During the next few decades, he’d slowly made his way northward, taking his time to enjoy the verdant, rolling landscape that had reminded him so much of home as he’d moved through the various dioceses, carefully timing his ‘transfers’ and then covering his footsteps so as to never raise suspicion. In 1782, he’d arrived at the Abbaye de Citreaux, and finding the ancient, moss-covered structure and the myriad villages within a hunt’s reach perfectly suited to meet _all_ his needs, he’d settled there for the next several years. However, less than a decade later, the government had seized the abbey as an asset during the revolution, and finally disenchanted with France, he’d continued north, into Germany. 

The Germans had been just as receptive to him as the French had been, and it hadn’t taken him long to find another ‘home’. Less than five years later, he’d settled in southern Baden, and when he’d been asked to assume the position of abbot and take charge of Mosbach’s novitiates, He’d felt as if he’d come full circle: that despite his tainted existence, he’d finally been able to honor his mentor by offering the same protection and guidance that Wei-shan had given to him. The blond scowled slightly as he lit up another cigarette. And then Fate had decided to complicate his life once again. 

It had been the spring after he’d settled at the abbey, and he’d gone into the countryside to hunt. His prey had been particularly satisfying- both in the chase and in the kill itself- and in a rare, sociable mood, he’d entered one of the local taverns and had taken a seat in a game of Cego. The dealer had been an overconfident, loudmouthed redhead who had almost instantly pissed him off, and it had quickly become Naran’s objective to put the moron in his place. After watching him for a couple of hands, the blind had finally come to him, and he’d demanded that everyone place their cards on the table. Just as he’d suspected, the dealer had been copping out on the solo, and the redhead had been livid when he’d been forced to pay the price- eight times the last bidded value. 

After collecting his winnings, Naran had declared himself out, but the dealer hadn’t been content to leave well enough alone. Following him from the tavern, he’d called out various taunts, but the blond had merely ignored him until he’d heard _that_ word: _Vampir._ For a moment, Naran had stood frozen, and then he’d turned and had gone after the redhead, not willing to take the risk that it merely had been thrown out as an insult. However, before he’d been able to even touch the other, he’d found himself pinned to the ground. The priest gave an almost amused snort. He could still recall the mutual surprise he and Eber had shared when they’d found themselves glaring into the soulless eyes of their own kind.

Naturally, they’d both been wary, but they had eventually come to an agreement: Naran would take them, plus the redhead’s younger brother, into the abbey in exchange for their silence, and the two of them would serve him as laypersons to perpetuate the ruse. The blond rolled his eyes as he exhaled. They all had come a long way since then, and though he’d never admit it, he was grateful for the companionship- most of the time. But he still felt as if Eber and his fucked up little ‘family’ had definitely gotten the better end of _that_ deal. 

Taking one last drag from his cigarette, he ground out the butt and then reached for the window, his hand freezing on the sill as his keen eyes caught sight of two figures entering the copse of trees on the far end of the lawn. One of them appeared to be struggling, and as the last waft of smoke drifted away, a scent as intimate to him as his own wafted in on the breeze to taunt him. Practically tasting David’s fear, Naran strode from the study to the closest exit, silently cursing the small-paned windows for the time they were costing him. As soon as he stepped out the door, he caught the scent of the second male’s pheromones, and instantly enraged, he flew across the open ground to the woods. 

Despite his speed, the man had already mounted David by the time he found them, one hand roughly fisting the long, dark tresses and forcing the raven’s face into the ground, the other ruthlessly gripping his hip as he brutally fucked the pale, limp body. Naran caught the fresh scent of David’s blood on the air, could see it trickling down his thighs, and his mind lost to everything except protecting what was his, he attacked with a feral roar. Grabbing a fistful of the rapist’s hair, he jerked him from David’s body, the man screeching in pain as the force of Naran’s pull tore his scalp away from his skull. 

The scent of his enemy’s vitae driving his bloodlust even higher, Naran swung the man away from David, the hair and scalp breaking free in his hand as the attacker’s body flew against the nearest tree. Before he could even fall to the ground, the vampire was upon him, and loosing another infuriated roar, the blond bit deeply into his neck, giving him one last moment of excruciating pain as he deliberately tore a jagged hole into his flesh and carotid artery before draining the rapist of what remained of his life.   
“Naran!” Growling, his fangs still bared, the priest jerked away from his prey to turn on the new arrival. Eber sidestepped his attack, roughly grabbing him by his blood-soaked collar and then slapping him sharply across the face in an effort to break through the blond’s maddened haze. The unexpected gesture had its desired effect, and taking advantage of Naran's stunned pause, Eber forcibly turned him back toward the mangled corpse. "You fool, Naran! What have you done?"   
His mind still clouded from the euphoric rush caused by his anger and his recent feed, the blond stared dazedly at him for a moment, his clarity returning at a painful rate when he finally recognized his victim’s apparel: the black linen breeches and shirt that the novices wore beneath their robes. For a moment, Naran actually felt faint despite the fresh blood coursing through his system. However, a low moan from David spurned him into action again, and after shrugging free from Eber’s grasp, he went to the raven’s side and gently lifted the wounded novice into his arms. “Marko, take care of the body. Move it deeper into the forest. And make certain you don’t leave any trace of what happened here behind.” The expression in Naran’s eyes silenced any protest before the redhead could make it, and as Marko approached the corpse, the priest turned to the brunet. “Eber, you come with me to see to David’s wounds.”   
Vaguely aware of the taller male exiting the wood beside him, Naran made his way back toward the abbey, his righteousness steadily overcoming the initial guilt he’d felt over what he had done. He knew full well the potential repercussions of his actions, but he couldn’t despise himself for it. Yes, he’d taken the life of one of his charges, but the man had taken what was _his_. ‘ _Lex talonis,_ ’ he thought with an inward smirk. An eye for an eye. 

“You do know who the other novice was, don’t you?” The blond’s brief moment of amusement faded as Eber quietly redirected his thoughts to the body he’d left in the forest, and his jaw clenched, his guilt flaring again as he curtly nodded. It had been the elector’s great-nephew and the archbishop’s pride and joy, the diocese having put all their hope in the thought that the youth’s desire to serve the Catholic faith would keep Mosbach safe from the threatened secularization. “What are you going to do?” 

“Tell them the truth,” he replied brusquely. “Tell them that there was an attack. There are plenty of signs of bear in the forest. It should be a feasible cover- provided Marko does his job correctly for once.” 

Eber’s eyes narrowed slightly at the deliberate slight against his mate, but he let the comment slide. They obviously had larger issues to deal with. “That’s all fine and good,” he replied as he opened the heavy door for the priest. “And I suspected as much when I heard your instructions to Marko. But I wasn’t merely talking about Friedrich’s body.” The brunet’s lips pursed together tightly, a mixture of irritation and worry flitting through his gaze when David stirred in Naran’s arms and the novice murmured something that sounded suspiciously like the priest’s name as he started to return to consciousness. “I more meant what are you going to do about _him_?” His expression softened slightly when Naran remained silent, the green-eyed male easily sensing the myriad emotions tormenting the blond. “You can’t continue on like this, Naran. Look at what it has cost you already. If, after all of this, you still won’t turn him, then I’m afraid you’re going to _have_ to-“ 

“I know!” David shifted in his arms again, and Naran cut himself off, remaining silent as they made their way into the infirmary. As Eber stepped away to turn up the lights, the priest laid the novice on one of the cots, the desire he’d been fighting since that very first night crying out in agony as he slowly let the younger male go. He was close, so very close; Naran could turn him now if he wanted to. He could bite into that tempting, supple neck and drink deeply of his vitae, taking him just past the edge of mortality before calling him back. Just a few droplets of his own blood forced past those slightly parted lips, and it would be over. The bond that had been driving him mad for ages would be complete, and David would truly be his. Yet, even as the thought crossed his mind, Friedrich’s image came back to haunt him. He’d forced himself onto David as well, and Naran had taken his life for it. It didn’t matter that, in his mind, the raven already belonged to him. If he were to complete the bond in that fashion, he’d be the same as that bastard. Worse, because his actions would condemn David to _his_ damned existence. 

“Naran?” 

“I know,” the blond said again as he finally straightened, avoiding Eber’s concerned gaze as he resolutely turned his back to the cot. “As soon as his injuries have healed, I’ll send him away.” 

When the brothers and novitiates gathered for prayer the next morning, Friedrich and David were discovered ‘missing’, and as soon as the rites had been completed, Naran organized a search, sending the deacon with a small group to investigate the property while he explored the interior of the structure. Before the first hour had passed, Friedrich’s body had been found, and as whispers of _bar_ frantically made their way through the abbey, Naran was forced to admit that Marko had done an admirable job in setting a convincing scenario. 

By the time they brought Friedrich’s corpse to the infirmary, David had also been ‘found’, Naran claiming that he’d discovered the unconscious boy in the kitchen garden as he’d been on his way out to join the other search party. In truth, Eber had used his herb lore to keep the raven unconscious most of the night, and when the deacon had returned with the constable and coroner later that morning, he'd been in an appropriately befuddled state, which was easily attributed to his narrow escape. And, while he made no mention of the bear, he confirmed enough for the constable- that he’d been attacked, and that Naran had found him and had carried him indoors. 

When asked what they thought the reason had been behind the two young men being in the forest, Eber had tactfully informed the officer that there had been evidence of ‘promiscuous activity’ on David’s body as he’d cleaned him from the attack. A look of utter disgust flitted over the constable’s face, and abruptly, he declared his investigation over, only to pause for a moment at the infirmary door. “Attacked.” He turned to Naran. “Was he speaking of the bear, or of the deceased?” That distasteful expression settled over his features again. “They were both under your care, Father. I’ll leave it to you to ask. If it were up to me, I’d let it rest; if it _was_ the other male who attacked him, then I’d say God has provided him his just reward. However, I’m sure the family will have more questions despite your letter and my report, and they’ll likely have a greater interest in that detail than me. Karl Friedrich’s great-nephew.” He shook his head and sighed as he handed the blond a copy of his documentation. “Either way, I don’t envy you your task.” 

BREAK HERE  
Once the officials had left, Naran had retired to his study to write the letter informing Friedrich’s parents of his demise, and after placing it in an envelope with the constable’s report, he'd had Godehard take the packet into town, instructing him to send it with an express rider to the family seat in Karlsruhe. Feeling beyond exhausted and much older than his 171 years, the blond leaned back in his chair with a sigh. He needed to hunt, but it was still far too light out, so he would rest and conserve his energy instead. He snorted. God knew he’d need it. They were all going to have to be more cautious for a while thanks to his loss of control, and that meant travelling greater distances away from the abbey to stalk their prey, as well as using more discretion as to who they chose and how they disposed of the remains. His eyes narrowed as he got up from his desk and crossed over to the exit. It was something he’d have to be certain to remind the others of- Marko especially. 

His mind once again lost to the recent events, he opened the door, nearly running into Eber as he went to step into the hall. “What is it now?” he demanded brusquely, frustration flitting through his eyes when he saw the concern in the brunet’s. _’I swear, is this day never going to end?’_

“He’s asking for you.” Naran’s jaw clenched tightly, and with an impatient noise, he pushed past the taller male, but Eber persisted. “He has been since you left last night. Even in his deepest of sleeps, I would hear him murmur your name. And now that he’s more cognizant, he’s becoming more insistent- and more confused as to why you’re disregarding his requests.” When the priest continued to ignore him, he grabbed hold of his arm and forced him to turn around, Eber’s benign smile an almost ridiculous contrast to the obvious irritation in his gaze. “You need to talk to him, Naran. You perpetuated his feelings for you, not only by permitting him to remain when it became obvious that his devotion was in part due to your aborted claim, but also by accepting the role of his personal mentor- as begrudgingly as it may have been,” he added, effectively cutting the blond off with a wry smirk that told Naran he wasn’t fooling _him_ , at least. “If you’re going to insist on sending him away instead of making him yours, then so be it. But at least do him the courtesy of telling him yourself. You’ve seen his records. You know his past. Abandoned at birth, shuffled from orphanage to orphanage, never truly having a home. Never belonging. With all that he’s been through, especially over the past twenty-four hours, he deserves at least a goodbye, seeing as you’re likely the first person he’s felt he’s meant anything to in the nineteen years of his life.” 

With a growl, Naran pulled his arm away, and smiling slightly, Eber let him. He could tell from the expression in the violet gaze that, whether the priest heeded them or not, his words had struck home. “You never got to say your farewells to the one who meant the most to _you_ , Naran,” he called out softly after the retreating blond. “Don’t leave David with that same ache by robbing him of his chance to do so.” For the briefest of moments, Naran faltered, but then he continued on, and his smile finally fading, Eber turned away with a sigh. He’d done all he could to convince the one to believe in a dream and the other to face reality. He just hoped that, regardless as to what happened now, he’d managed to help them both. 

Doing his best to ignore the brunet’s lecture and how it had affected him, Naran continued through the halls and to his chambers. But, try as he might, he found he couldn’t rest. Eber’s words and David’s image continued taunting him in his mind, and infuriated, he returned to his study again. He’d put an end to it, he vowed silently as he stalked over to his desk. He’d deliver the letter to the diocese himself if he had to, and wait for a reply. But by the end of the week, he swore it would be done. David would be assigned to a different abbey, the temptation would be gone, and most importantly, the others would leave him the hell alone. _Unless you’re content with the thought of spending the rest of your immortal life wallowing in self pity, loneliness and despair. Then that’s up to you. Frankly, I think a century and a half is plenty long enough._ Growling, Naran flung his inkwell and quill across the room, and as they hit the opposite wall he got up again, his inner turmoil driving him to a near rage. There was another way to resolve it- one he should have considered ages ago. He would simply kill the boy, and when he was done, he would seek out Eber and the others, cut off their meddling heads, and bring an end to _both_ situations once and for all. 

In what seemed a matter of seconds, he was in the infirmary and at the foot of David’s cot. However, as the moon came from behind the flitting night clouds to shine in upon the peacefully sleeping youth, Naran’s temporary madness faded away, and he knew that he couldn’t do it. David drove him to distraction, but he was innocent in _all_ of this. He gazed at the pale, slender figure a moment longer and then turned toward the door. He would hunt, and then he’d go back and write his letter. 

“Don’t go.” The blond paused, the plaintive note in David’s voice tugging at him almost as strongly as the muted scent of his vitae, and that brief hesitation would prove to be his undoing. “Don’t go,” the younger male asked of him again, and before Naran could move in either direction, David had shifted to his knees and had reached out to catch his sleeve. “And please, don’t send me away.” 

Naran’s eyes widened, and for a moment, he stood frozen, but then he turned and gently removed the younger male’s hand, the warmth of David’s flesh coming through his glove to sear through his cold, blood-hungry body. “I must. You need your rest.” He turned away again, and then he hesitated once more, his gaze narrowing slightly as he thought about his earlier conversation with Eber. “Who told you that you were to be sent away?”

“You did.” David settled back onto the mattress, hurt rising to mingle with the pleading in his eyes. “I heard you last night, discussing it with Herr Eber.” His lower lip trembled ever so slightly, and then he clenched his jaw and turned his face away. “Please, don’t.” 

A melancholy smile flitted over Naran’s lips as he gazed upon the dejected male, and then with a small sigh, he settled lightly on the edge of the cot. “It would be for the best,” he began quietly. “After all that has happened-“ 

“I don’t care!” Naran’s brow arched at the sharp interruption, but David wouldn’t be deterred. “I don’t care about what he did to me. I don’t care about whatever happened after. All I care about is staying here, with you.” His breath caught suddenly and a deep shame burned in his eyes as he turned his head away again. “Unless it’s because I was unable to stop him that you want to send me away.” 

“No.” Naran reached out and grasped David’s chin, forcing his gaze to his own, ignoring his intense ache for the other in his determination to assuage the raven’s guilt. God knew he already carried enough for the both of them. “What Friedrich did to you wasn’t your fault. That sin belongs to him. I do not hold his actions against you, David.” 

“Then why?” He caught Naran’s hand as he dropped it, desperately clutching it between his own. “I know you care for me, Father. I’ve seen how you are with the others: almost contemptuous, always pushing them away. But not me.” He gave a small smile. “You could have sent me away back then when I was annoying you with my persistence, but instead, you let me stay. Let me grow close to you.” A coy look crept into David’s gaze. “I know you desire me, too,” he continued lowly. “I’ve seen it in your eyes, the same wanting I saw in Friedrich’s.” Boldly, he reached up to touch Naran’s face, noting the chill of his pale, perfect skin, stroking the flesh again as if trying to warm it. “So similar, and yet so different; your desire for me runs _so_ much deeper than Friedrich’s lust.” He shifted closer, encouraged by Naran’s stillness and silence, by the way that want he’d just spoken of suddenly flared unbidden in the older male’s eyes. “And instead of repulsing me like his did, it draws me to you, Father.” His eyes lidded slightly, a faint pink settling onto his cheeks as his determination gave way to arousal. “Makes me desire you in turn. I don’t care if it makes me a sinner like Friedrich. It makes me long to be yours. Please,” he whispered, his breath tantalizingly washing over the older male’s mouth. “Please, don’t send me away.” 

David’s lips brushed his in the chastest of kisses, but it was enough to seal both their fates, and as Naran sensed the depths of David’s devotion and longing, he was unable to resist any longer. Yet, even as he gave in to his deepest desire, he forced himself to pull away. His body yearned to feed just as strongly as it yearned to claim the other. He knew he would have to hunt before he could properly perform the rite. And while he couldn’t yet reveal the secret of his existence to his raven, he wanted to make certain he knew- at least in part- what his chosen fate would entail. “If you stay with me, you would be bound to me,” he began, permitting himself to lightly cup David’s cheek, the thick, dormant substance that lay waiting in his veins shifting restlessly in response to the warm, living blood thrumming seductively beneath David’s flesh. “You would never be able to leave. Wherever it became my destiny to go, you would have no choice but to follow.” He smiled a bit as the desire in the raven’s eyes burned stronger at the thought. “I can see into your heart, David. I know you long for such a thing.” His thumb lightly caressed the younger male’s cheekbone his eyes darkening as he brought their foreheads together. “And I’m more than willing to give it to you, but I need you to be sure. Are you willing to sacrifice all of your dreams and aspirations, to give up your very freedom, simply to remain by my side?” The raven’s lips parted, and Naran pulled away, quickly laying a finger over them. “Hush for now,” he murmured, his gaze darkening further as the heat of the full, moist flesh seeped through to warm the digit. “Think on it for me, David.” He smirked wryly as he finally rose. “Pray on it. If, at dawn, you’re still as determined, then come to me in my study.” He turned toward the door. “And if you do not come, then I’ll know you will have accepted my decision to send you away.” 

As the first light of morning crept over the horizon, the knock came to Naran’s door, and the vampire’s eyes gleamed with anticipation as he moved to answer it. He wasn’t surprised by David’s answer, but he was pleased nonetheless. The raven may not have _fully_ understood the sacrifice he was about to make, but he’d been told enough, and Naran’s conscience rested more easily in knowing he’d been the youth’s conscious choice. 

As soon as he opened the door, David parted his lips to speak, and once again Naran silenced him with a finger, the blood from his recent kill pulsing strongly through his veins, the warmth and turgor of his flesh nearly matching his raven’s now. “Come,” he murmured, not bothering to hide his desirous pleasure, and taking the younger male’s hand, he led him through the abbey and into his personal chambers. After closing and bolting the door, he turned toward David again, the violet darkening further as he drank in the way the flickering candlelight played over his delicate features, highlighting his innocent blush and the shy anticipation in his beautiful, charcoal-gray eyes. His gaze never leaving the other, he removed his cassock and gloves, and then crossed the small room to stand at the edge of his bed. “Come to me, David,” he commanded quietly, and without hesitation, the youth did his bidding, the first signs of arousal mingling with the trustful adoration in his eyes as he tipped his face up in silent offering to the priest. “Good boy,” Naran purred darkly as he drew him into his embrace, and then he took David’s mouth with his own. Pulling the pliant body even closer, he claimed the wet recesses with his tongue, the priest giving way to the arousal and possessiveness he’d been fighting for so many months as his body eagerly reacted to the first true exchange of their essences. “ _My_ boy,” he all but growled when he finally pulled away, and after stripping David of his loose linen shirt, he turned him toward the bed, lithely straddling the slender figure as he laid him down on the mattress. “And you _so_ want to be my boy, don’t you, David?” A dark smirk curving his lips upward, he bent over the younger male, permitting their groins to brush together as he teased them _both _by flicking his tongue over the rapidly beating pulse in the raven’s neck. “Say it.” He pulled away then, resting his forehead against the other’s, the temptation to taste the vitae he’d desired for so long nearly overcoming him. But it was too soon. Turning him was no longer enough. His hunger had grown too strong. He wanted to claim his raven, heart, body and soul all at once. “Tell me again how you’ll give up everything to stay with me.”__

__David whimpered at the teasing, his innocent body rapidly reacting to the older male’s proximity and touches, his cock eagerly rising to meet the thick length he could feel through the priest’s breeches. “Yes,” he breathed in response to Naran’s question, slender arms slipping around the blond’s narrow back, his expression one of utter surrender. “Please, Father, make me yours. My life for you.”_ _

__Groaning lowly, Naran lifted his head and claimed David’s mouth, once again letting his hips brush against the raven’s. He’d indulged in the act before, giving in to his basest of instincts, ruthlessly fucking the unwitting victim and then draining them after he came, but he’d never before felt a physical need such as this. His body aching with the yearning he’d repressed for far too long, he pulled away from the kiss, his head buzzing with the first tendrils of euphoria as the majority of the blood he’d taken in earlier continued to pulse through his groin. Pushing himself to his knees, he shifted off of his raven, his soulless eyes blazing with a dark, hungry light as he removed David’s remaining clothing. “So beautiful,” he murmured in a low, gravelly tone as he pressed his fingers to the younger male’s lips, another growl escaping his own as the raven willingly drew them in. “So innocent and pure.” His free hand skating over the teen’s taut, trembling stomach, he dipped down to swipe his tongue across David’s flushed, weeping tip, unable to resist the heady scent of his essence. “ _Mine_ …” _ _

__David cried out at the sensation, his hips jerking up in response, his eager body rapidly becoming overwhelmed by Naran’s sensual words and caresses. Panting softly, he took hold of the older male’s hand, his tongue darting over the fingertips one last time before he pulled the digits from his mouth. “God… Father, _please_!” _ _

__Naran chuckled darkly at the pleading, the words falling on his ears like a prayer, and a pleasured chill ran through him at the pure sacrilege of the thought. Father _and_ God, he would become both to the youth when he took his life, claimed his soul, and led him back through the gates of the damned. “Peace, my child,” he murmured in deliberate blasphemy as another dark chuckle escaped his lips, and he brought his hand between David’s legs, teasing over his quivering length to add the copious pre-seed to the saliva coating his fingers. “Peace. I will grant your desire.” He lightly circled around the taut ring of muscle and then gently pressed into the hole, groaning and his cock pulsing painfully as the digits sank slowly into David’s heat. “Good boy,” he purred again lowly as the raven parted his trembling thighs. “That’s right. Just relax and accept me. Don’t be deterred by the pain. Soon, you’ll experience pleasure unimaginable.” He dipped his head again to tease his tongue over David’s weeping slit. “Soon, you will be mine.” _ _

__Licking his lips and savoring David’s essence, he began to lightly thrust into him, carefully curling and twisting his fingers to stretch the younger male’s taut inner walls. Within seconds, the raven was writhing beneath his touches, his ivory flesh flushed as if with a fever as he wantonly cried out for more. His own body trembling from the strain of his arousal, Naran pushed his fingers in deeper still, his mouth once again dropping to David’s cock as he stroked over his prostate to draw him over the edge. With a wail of Naran’s name, the raven pulsed his seed into the blond’s waiting throat, David’s essence coursing through the vampire’s system to give him the strength he would need to finish his rite._ _

__Taking advantage of David’s euphoria, Naran eased his fingers free, quickly unfastening his breeches to expose his thick, aching length. Gathering the raven into his arms, he settled back onto his calves and drew the younger male into his lap, his hands dropping to force his buttocks apart as he thrust into his hole. “Hush, child,” he murmured huskily when he heard David’s pained cry, drawing the youth to the tip of his length and the driving back in again. “Hush. It will be alright. Relax. Surrender yourself and accept me, just as you did before.” A pleasured growl rumbled low in his throat when, once again, David did his bidding, and as he sank even deeper into the raven’s body, he slid a hand up into his hair. “My good boy,” he breathed darkly into his ear as David began to match his rhythm, and Naran’s eyes gleamed hungrily in the darkness as he watched the wanton pleasure once again dance over his raven’s pretty face. His nails biting into the flesh of David’s hips, he began to thrust into him harder, and when the faint scent of blood from the crescent shaped wounds pulled him to the edge, Naran succumbed. With a wordless, carnal roar, he let himself go, and as his thick, crimson-tinged essence pulsed deep into David’s body, he lowered his mouth and bit deeply into the raven’s neck, barely aware of the youth’s anguished cry of surprise as he replenished himself with his vitae. Only when he felt David go lax in his arms did he finally pull away, and then he forced the barely-conscious youth’s lips to his own, slicing into his own tongue with a keen incisor and letting his tainted blood trickle into the raven’s mouth until he was forced to drink it down. Abruptly, David’s strength returned to him, and he greedily suckled the wound, Naran fairly purring in contentment when, with each swallow, he felt more of his child’s soul die away._ _

__As the vampire’s vitae mingled with his own, David’s heart began to slow, and a moment later, he gave a soft sigh and surrendered his mortal life, his body once again sagging in Naran’s arms. Carefully, the blond eased him from his spent cock and then gently laid him down, cleaning the corpse of his spend and taking care of the wounds before tending to himself. The insistent peal of the bells announcing morning vespers echoed through the abbey, and despite his exhaustion, he once again donned his vestments. It would be several hours before he could rest, and then he would have to hunt again- and bring his quarry back to Mosbach so that David could feed as well. He knew it would be risky, given recent events, but as he looked again at his child’s lifeless body, he couldn’t bring himself to care. He was neither a novice nor an idiot. He’d been covering his tracks for years. He smirked a bit as he headed out of his chambers. And if Eber wanted to lecture him for his folly, he could go fuck himself. After all, it had been the brunet’s nagging words that had driven him to David’s bedside the night before in the first place._ _

__By the time dawn broke the next morning, Naran had both rested and fed, and ignoring the protests from the others, he’d brought back another for his boy: a young male whose swaggering attitude had instantly made him think of Marko. He didn’t usually seek out those who reminded him of his so-called friends, but the redhead had pissed him off earlier with his taunting and snide remarks, and he couldn’t help but feel slightly vindicated by the thought of ridding the world of a similar idiot._ _

__As the time for David’s awakening approached, Naran dragged the victim to his bed, smirking cruelly at the abject fear in the other’s eyes. He could tell what his captive was thinking- that he was likely about to be raped- and as he sensed his raven’s consciousness returning, he couldn’t help but laugh darkly as he thought of the worse fate that awaited the man. Abruptly, David sat up with a feral cry, but Naran was there, the blond gently but insistently prying the clawing hands from his own neck and turning his hungry child to the terrified victim. Another dark chuckle escaped him as he watched David greedily lunge for his throat, and once again he redirected him, tangling a hand in the dark tresses to guide his mouth a bit lower and to the side, to the frantically beating pulse of his carotid artery. With an almost kittenish growl, David sank his teeth into the flesh, the gagged man’s muted scream quickly fading as the raven drained him of his vitae. “Good boy,” he murmured, releasing his hold to stroke lovingly through David’s hair. “Drink deeply. Let his life force renew your own. As it makes its way through your body, you’ll find your way back to your mind. And when you do, you’ll be stronger and more aware than ever before.”_ _

__As David continued to feed, Naran could feel him returning to his senses, and by the time he'd let the corpse fall to the floor, the madness had cleared from his eyes. Growling lowly, his own hunger flaring again despite his recent kill, Naran pulled his child into his arms, plundering his mouth of the last of the victim’s essence in a kiss that David just as greedily returned. By the time he pulled back, a desire of a different sort had consumed him, and after tugging away the blood-spattered sheet that had pooled around the younger male’s waist, he stood up and stripped off his own clothing, a low chuckle escaping him when, as he settled on the bed again, he found David’s legs already parted. After a cursory suck to his fingers, he brought them to his raven’s hole, groaning lowly as his fledgling mate readily accepted them into his body with a wanton purr. With David’s arousal matching his own, he didn’t need much preparation, and after a couple of deep scissoring thrusts, Naran pulled his fingers free. As he draped his body over his lover’s, the raven instinctively lifted his hips, their pleasured sounds mingling as one as the blond buried his cock to the hilt._ _

__Knowing that neither of them would have the stamina that night to indulge in a leisurely fucking, Naran set a deep, hard rhythm that he knew would get them both off, his eyes blazing with his possessive lust as David eagerly matched his movements. As he felt himself nearing his peak, he shifted his weight to grasp his lover’s cock, another groan escaping him as the younger male’s tunnel instantly spasmed in response. Stroking him counterpoint to his punishing thrusts, Naran continued to drive into him, and moments later, David came with a cry of his name. As his mate’s blood-tinged release spilled over his fist, the blond finally let himself go, burying himself deeply inside his child’s exquisite tightness one last time as his thick essence pulsed into his body._ _

__As his euphoria washed over him, Naran pulled free from David’s body, settling onto the mattress beside him and pulling him into his arms once again. For several minutes he simply lay there, and as he recovered from his exertions, his mind eventually wandered to plan his next hunt- David’s first- as he came down from his heights._ _

__“It wasn’t a bear.” Naran lifted his head, his eyebrow quirked in question. “It wasn’t a bear who killed Friedrich,” David said slowly. “I remember now. It was you.” A dark smile curved his lips upward and he nestled closer to his sire. “You killed him for me.”_ _

__Naran chuckled lowly, lightly tracing around his raven’s upturned mouth. “I did.” His expression grew sober. “But you must keep that secret, David. I don’t regret what I did to save you, but I put us at risk with my actions.” A melancholy smile briefly flitted over his features. “Consider it the first of many ruses you’ll have to maintain.”_ _

__Without hesitation, David nodded, and then he tipped his head to look up at the blond. “It’s worth it,” he replied, and Naran could tell from the utter devotion in his eyes that the secret of Friedrich’s death- and any other he would impart to him over the years- would be as safe as if he had kept it to himself. “I would never betray you, Father. As I said last night before you drew me over, my life for you.” His lips curved into a _very_ satisfied smile when the avowal of his loyalty caused Naran to claim his mouth in another passionate, possessive kiss, and when his sire finally pulled away, he nestled close again, his expression becoming contemplative as he looked up at the other once more. “There are others here like us. They’re not _close_ , but I can sense them. Who are they?” His eyes narrowed slightly. “And what are they to you?” _ _

__Naran smirked a bit, lightly tracing the small moue that curved David’s lips downward, pleased by his mate’s perception and amused by his own show of possessiveness. “Eber and Marko are vampires like us,” he replied. “And they became my companions out of necessity alone, I assure you.” Briefly, he told David how they had come to be at the abbey. “Marko was still a mortal when I offered them the protection of Mosbach. Eber turned him and took him as his mate shortly after I took them in.”_ _

__“And you?” A dark jealousy filled David’s eyes, and his arms tightened around his sire. “How were you turned, Father? Did you belong to another before me?”_ _

__Naran chuckled lowly and he shook his head as he gazed down at his petulant child. “No. I’m afraid my own story is nowhere near as romantic as that.” His expression sobered. “Vampires don’t turn people solely for mating. There are other reasons as well; some as simple as the desire for companionship, some more complex, like revenge.” His eyes darkening slightly, he told David of his past, sharing the story of his beloved master with his mate. “After Wei-shan’s interment, I left the monastery. The brothers pleaded with me to stay, but my desire for vengeance burned too strongly. The Manchu traitors had robbed me twice over, and I was determined to seek my revenge. For years, I traveled through the various territories, using the skills Wei-shan had taught me to keep myself out of their treacherous grasp as I slaughtered each one I could in turn.” A small, sad smile curved his lips upward. “Eventually, I made my way into Xi’an, where another monk brought me to my senses. Bao-zhi chided me for holding onto the darkness in my heart, and for so foolishly risking everything Wei-shan had given his life to protect.” A brief wistful chuckle escaped him and he lightly caressed David’s cheek. “I can still see his bushy eyebrows and wizened face just as clearly as I can your beauty.” Naran sighed. “Under his urging, I remained at his temple, and through his guidance, as I started to let go of my hate, life once again became peaceful and routine.” He smirked wryly. “But unfortunately, there are those in the world who can hold a grudge even longer than me.”_ _

__The blond’s expression sobered again as he continued. “In the fall of my twenty-fourth year, we received a visitor at the temple: a priest named Shen who had served under Wei-shan during my childhood. Despite my surprise, I was pleased to see him, and Bao-zhi welcomed him as well, knowing I would be eager to hear news of my original brethren. Shen’s tale was a sad one,” Naran said quietly. “The night after Wei-shan’s interment, the two men we had let escape returned to finish their job, unaware of either my master’s death or that I had already left the monastery. Having already experienced Wei-shan’s Dharmic powers, they brought a dark force to counter it- reinforcements who could match him in speed, perception and strength, and who were seemingly impervious to Buddhist spells or any blade.”_ _

__“Vampires.”_ _

__Naran nodded and gave his child another small smile. “Yes. Vampires. They searched the monastery for me, killing any who crossed their paths, and eventually, they made their way to Shen. In desperation, he told the attackers that I’d left, hoping it would stop their slaughter. But when they learned that I’d once again slipped from their grasp, they only grew more enraged. By the time dawn broke the next morning, Shen was the only monk still alive, and in a final act of revenge against the temple that had harbored me for so long, they turned him before they left, leaving him there amongst the corpses, forcing him to choose between feeding from the cold dead bodies of his brothers or letting himself die with the next morning’s sun.” The blond sighed again. “Naturally, as soon as we heard this, Bao-zhi and I both went on the offensive, but we were too late. Shen had us exactly where he wanted us. He went for the old man first, easily eliminating him.” Naran snorted softly. “Or so it seemed. But apparently, Bao-zhi was stronger than either Shen or I had thought. Anyway, with the old man out of the way, he turned his attention to me, and though I did my best to fight him off, I wasn’t a match for him, either. Eventually he pinned me down, and as he bit into my neck, he pressed his forearm to my mouth, letting the blood from one of the few wounds I’d managed to score drip into my throat.”_ _

__Naran fell silent for several minutes. “I awoke with the same madness you did,” he finally said quietly. “But I had no one there to guide me, and driven by the need to sate my ravenous hunger, I snatched up and drained the first source of warm blood I could find. I don’t know if Bao-zhi had just expired from his wounds or if I truly killed him, but as the madness left me, I realized that he hadn’t died when I’d first thought, for my attacker’s corpse lay beside me, his head severed off by the blade end of Bao-zhi’s staff._ _

__“But why?” Naran looked down at his mate, his brow quirking slightly in amusement at the indignation in David’s eyes. “You weren’t the one who attacked them. You weren’t even there. Why did he seek his revenge with you instead of going after the one who had turned him?”_ _

__Despite the gravity of their conversation, Naran couldn’t help but chuckle, and then he kissed away the petulant moue that curved David’s lips downward as a result. “My innocent boy,” he murmured affectionately. “Anger and vengeance don’t always give way to logic. Shen was very devout.” He absently stroked through his raven’s hair. “And I would imagine that the rage and shame he felt at having been turned into such an unholy creature transposed into a deep seeded hatred for me. After all, I _was_ the cause of both of the attacks on the temple. In his eyes, I was the one at fault, and as I had, he sought out his revenge, searching for me until he finally caught my scent in Xi’an.” He chuckled again at the lingering disgruntlement in David’s eyes. “Peace, child. Let it be. It was countless years ago. One hundred fifty years this past fall to be exact,” he amended, recalling the night when Godehard had brought him that stupid book. “An age has passed since then, and while my fate has sometimes seemed cruel, I came to terms with most it long ago.” A hint of wistfulness briefly flitted through his eyes again as he thought about those he had lost, but a gentle touch to his cheek drew him out of his melancholy thoughts. _ _

__“Not so cruel anymore.” David traced beneath an eye. “It’s different now. You’re not alone.” He slid his hand back into Naran’s hair, drawing their mouths together. “My life for you, Father. You’ll have me with you forever.”_ _

__For a moment, he let David have his way, permitting the erotically sweet sensation of his child’s tongue coyly probing his mouth chase away his darker memories, and then with a growl, he took control of the kiss, though he quickly pulled back before his hunger for the other could get the best of him again. “Come,” he murmured, briefly cupping his cheek, and then he slid from the bed, smirking a bit when he saw the disappointment in the younger male’s eyes. “The morning bells will be ringing soon, and we have our ruse to maintain. But once evening vespers are finished, return to my room and we’ll lay together again.” His eyes gleamed with dark anticipation as he added, “After I teach you to hunt.”_ _

__By the end of the week, life had returned to its usual routine at the abbey- at least, on the surface. The elector had sent a small envoy from Karlsruhe to retrieve his great nephew’s body and belongings, and by the morning after his first proper hunt, David had ‘recovered’ enough from his myriad injuries to rejoin the other novices. Naturally, Karl Friedrich’s men had wanted to speak to David about what had happened that night, and despite the others’ misgivings, Naran had permitted it. He trusted his mate to uphold their story, and besides, he had argued, it would have created more questions had they refused._ _

__David had played his part perfectly, just as Naran had expected, responding to the queries with the proper amount of humility and respect. It had been a bear, he had confirmed. He was certain of it. And when asked about his relationship with Friedrich, he’d said only that they had been friends, and that he didn’t hold what had happened that night against his deceased brother. The tactful insinuation that he’d _not_ been a willing recipient of Friedrich’s attentions had seemed to satisfy the elector’s emissary, and Naran hadn’t even bothered to hide his smugness when he’d filled the others in of his child’s success after the envoy had left. _ _

__Much to the blond’s pride and pleasure, David adjusted quickly to his new existence, showing the same eagerness both to learn and to please that he’d exhibited ever since his arrival at the abbey. During the day, he lived as the other novitiates, busying himself with theological studies and prayer. And in the evening, after his peers and the older brothers had retired, he would make his way to the abbey’s private quarters to be with Naran. Most nights, it would be just the two of them, and they would spend their time hunting and fucking, sating their bloodlust and their hunger for each other and then sleeping until the bells woke them shortly after dawn._ _

__The only difficulty seemed to lie in the relationship between David and the other three.  
Eber and Marko were still wary of him, and Godehard didn’t care for him at all. The youth had grown quite fond of Naran over the past several years, despite his brusqueness, and he resented the way the newcomer had taken over the small tasks he used to perform for the blond himself- as well as the fact that David never got yelled at or struck for his doting like he had. Not that the raven was completely innocent. There was jealousy and distrust on his behalf, as well. He felt that Marko and Godehard were far too familiar and flippant toward his beloved sire, and though he respected Eber for his kindness and patience, he couldn’t help but be wary of the friendship between the brunet vampire and his mate. _ _

__Naran was aware of the tension, but he couldn’t bring himself to be troubled by it. David was young, he’d told Eber when the green-eyed male had approached him about it. He’d been barely nineteen in his mortal life and was a mere infant in their world. A bit of jealousy and insecurity was to be expected as he tried to establish his place. “As for you and Marko, I understand your wariness toward him.” He’d smirked a bit. “Suspiciousness is a trait of our kind, and our unique arrangements don’t necessarily change that. But you need to get over it,” he’d continued, sobering once again. “David is my mate, and like it or not, _he_ is here to stay.” The subtle inflection had been enough to get his point across, and though Eber had been obviously pissed by the insinuation, Naran hadn’t cared. Yes, they were his companions, and he was fond of them in his own way, but things were different now that he’d made David his own. He was more content and at peace than he could ever remember being. Despite the cold, empty place that had been left within him when his soul had died, he felt whole. He’d never had any qualms about reminding Eber that he and his family were there under his good graces in the first place. If they couldn’t come to terms with David and accept the changes that had taken place, then they could find another home. _ _

__By the time the first month had passed, some of the previous camaraderie had returned. As David grew stronger and more comfortable with his new existence, his insecurities had started to fade, just as Naran had predicted that they would. And while the others were still wary- which they likely always would be- they were at least making more of an effort to make David feel accepted and at home._ _

__“Marko! You asshole! You cheated!” Naran rolled his eyes and folded his hand. No matter what was being played, it always seemed to end the same, with the two brothers at each other’s throats for some reason or another. Normally, he wouldn’t have even bothered, but David had wanted to learn, and he didn’t trust either one of them not to fleece his boy just as they would have any other novice to the game. The blond snorted softly as the two continued to bicker. As usual, it seemed his instinct had been correct._ _

__“Now Godehard,” Eber came over to the table, his voice gently chiding despite the amusement in his eyes. “Is that really any way to talk to your brother? And you.” He slipped behind Marko and leaned down to press a kiss to his temple. “You really should know better than to think you could still get away with that trick after all these years.”_ _

__The redhead didn’t even have the grace to look sheepish. “Come on, Eb’.” He smirked up at his mate. “You know me better than that. Going up against two inexperienced brats? I had to at least give it a try.” He chuckled. “Especially when His Holiness over there just sat back and let me.”_ _

__“Naran! You didn’t!”_ _

__The blond shot Marko an irritated glare and then turned his attention to his mate, doing his best to resist the urge to snicker at the look of petulant reproach in the pretty gray gaze. “Tch. Of course I-“_ _

__“Father!”_ _

__All eyes turned toward the door in shock at the unexpected interruption. The lower brethren seldom came to that part of the abbey unless summoned, and it was unheard of for one of them to simply barge in unannounced. “What is it?” Naran demanded curtly as he and Marko both rose to their feet, a sense of foreboding running through him when he saw the anxiety in the monk’s eyes._ _

__“Friedrich’s father has come from Karlsruhe, and he’s sent his man for the constable. We tried to ask him what it was that he wanted, but he refused to answer. He demanded to speak directly to you, and wouldn’t even wait long enough for us to-” He fell abruptly silent when he saw the priest’s eyes narrow, and he slid his gaze in the direction of the blond’s stare. “Baron Hohenzollern of Karlsruhe, Father,” he stammered, and after a rather hurried bow, he all but fled back to his post._ _

__“Baron.” Naran held the man’s infuriated gaze for a moment, and then turned slightly toward his companions. “Leave us. All of you,” he added, casting a stern glance at his mate._ _

__“No!” The blond’s brow arched at Hohenzollern’s spat out response. “They will stay and serve as my witnesses as to what _truly_ happened to my son!” The baron stalked across the room to point an accusing finger into David’s face. “You! Tell me, if it truly was a bear that killed my Friedrich, how was it that _you_ got away?” He reached out as if to grab the raven, but Naran moved swiftly to David’s side, having to force himself not to break the man’s arm as he pushed his hand away from his child. _ _

__“I assure you, Baron, such violence is not necessary. We are in God’s house, after all.” His eyes narrowed slightly. “And as for your question, I’m assuming you read the reports. Perhaps David was merely overlooked by the bear, seeing as it’s likely he would have fainted or collapsed as a result of your son’s… _actions_.” _ _

__Hohenzollern’s features grew apoplectic with his rage. “Or perhaps there wasn’t a bear involved at all!” he roared in response as he reached into his waistcoat to pull out a small book and toss it onto the gaming table. “I found this amongst Friedrich’s things,” he continued, and then he pointed at David again. “ _His_ diary! And the vile perversities written within it made me ill with disgust!” He reached down and flipped the book open so that the priest could see the writing. “All about his immoral thoughts and dreams about _you_!” He whirled upon Naran. “I didn’t believe the bear attack from the start, and this confirms it! My Friedrich was a good boy, and he likely burned with shame after reading this filth. I think he told that evil child to seek repentance for his sins, and that _he_ attacked Friedrich and killed him in his fear of being exposed!” _ _

__Naran’s stomach twisted unpleasantly. The writing was definitely David’s, and though he suspected that Friedrich had taken the diary in an attempt to coerce the raven into submission, he knew that it wouldn’t matter either way- that David’s innocent- but foolish- mistake of recording his most intimate thoughts would be enough to re-open the case to a more extensive investigation. “Nonsense,” he replied crisply, hiding his misgivings behind a cool wall. “If that were the case, then how would you explain _David’s_ injuries- or the evidence of rape that was found on his body afterward?” _ _

__“He could have been injured when Friedrich tried to fight back!” Hohenzollern retorted hotly, and then his features twisted into a sneer. “Or perhaps you’re right, and David _is_ innocent. Perhaps _you_ killed Friedrich instead! He talks in there about how you look at him. How he thought you desired him. Perhaps you saw them go into the woods together, and driven by jealousy, you attacked them both, sparing this poor child’s life in exchange for having your vile way with him! Yes, that makes much more sense,” he continued almost maniacally. “My Friedrich was strong and good in a fight. It would have taken more than this wisp of a boy to beat him!” He snatched up the diary and then grabbed Naran’s arm, pulling him toward the door. “And I’m sure the cons-“ _ _

__Hohenzollern’s words died abruptly with a sickening sound of snapping bone, and as Eber and the others cried out, Naran turned around in time to see his child’s hands slip from the baron’s neck as he let him fall to the ground. “David, what have you done?”_ _

__A fierce devotion and possessiveness filled the raven’s eyes as he held his sire’s shocked gaze. “He knew your secret, Father. A secret you told me to keep.” The gray flashed dangerously. “And he touched what is mine. Tried to take you away from me. That in itself was enough reason for him to die.”_ _

__“You bastard! What were you thinking?”_ _

__“Are you totally insane?”_ _

__“That’s enough!” Eber’s sharp reprimand silenced Godehard and his mate, and when the distant sound of a door clicking shut wafted in on the momentary silence, he turned toward the blond. “They’re coming, Naran. What are you going to do?”_ _

__For a moment, Naran remained frozen, myriad thoughts flitting through his mind as he continued to gaze at his child. The evidence was damning. His mate would be accused in Friedrich’s death as well as Hohenzollern’s. Eber, Marko and Godehard had all been witnesses to the murder, and he knew that, despite the years they’d spent together, they would do what they needed in order to protect themselves. Just as he would if the situation were reversed. In the end, David would surely be executed, and he would be left alone again- the very fate that had made him so reluctant to complete the bond with his raven in the first place. His eyes narrowed suddenly. Unless he could arrange for someone else to take the fall._ _

__Plotting quickly, Naran scooped up the diary and tossed it into the fire, grabbing the shovel to bury it under the coals. “Get out of here, now!” he commanded his mate, his eyes narrowing meaningfully as he added darkly, “And take Godehard with you.” Comprehension glimmered through David’s eyes and with a nod, he grabbed the boy. But he wasn’t the only one who had understood Naran’s intent._ _

__With a hiss, Eber moved toward Naran as Marko lunged for his brother, but they were both too late. With another quick turn of his hands, David easily snapped the struggling boy’s neck, Godehard’s last breath gurgling out of him, his unseeing golden gaze seeming to look bewilderedly at Naran as the raven dragged him out of the room. With an enraged howl, Marko turned away and joined Eber in his attack, and as the two closed in on him, Naran pulled the shovel from the fire, flinging the blade full of flaming coals at the brunet vampire and his mate. Despite their horrendous screeches of pain, they continued toward the priest, and Naran deliberately let them pin him between their burning bodies and the fire until he felt the flames lick at his robes. He stood there as long as he dared, and then he pushed them away and let them fall to the floor, coolly watching them writhe in agony as he beat the fire from his vestments before it could reach his flesh._ _

__Once he was certain he was out of danger, he crouched down to extinguish what was left of his companions’ clothing. He knew that the fire would only weaken them versus kill them- that they would eventually heal despite the excruciating burns- but he didn’t want their injuries so severe that they were unable to stand trial, should there be one. The sooner the whole ordeal was over with, the better. Then he and David could put Mosbach and all of its unpleasantness behind them. Start over again just the two of them. A new home and a new ruse. Naran actually smiled a bit. Maybe they would return to China… A feeble grasp to his sleeve abruptly drew the priest from his thoughts, and his expression hardening again, he looked down almost contemptuously at Eber._ _

__“Why?” he mumbled, his raw, swollen lips splitting open at the effort of the word._ _

__“You said it yourself,” Naran muttered, turning away from the sickening sight of the brunet’s charred, blistered face as the constable walked through the door. “A century and a half is long enough.”_ _

__“Father!” For a moment, the constable stared in shock at the scene, his horrified gaze flitting from the baron to the charred figures on the floor, and then back to the blond as he finally moved further into the room. “My God! What happened here?”_ _

__“Treachery at its worst,” Naran replied solemnly, a dark amusement fluttering through him despite the gravity of the situation as he considered the sinister truth behind his words. “Baron Hohenzollern found his son’s diary when going through his belongings. In his writings, Friedrich had stated that he had sufficient reason to believe that Eber and Marko were working to sabotage this abbey. They wanted this area to fall to secularization, to restore the balance in power they felt had been lost during the last mediatisation. Friedrich was a devout catholic, and he loved Mosbach as his second home. After reading his son’s entries, the Baron couldn’t help but suspect that the bear attack had been a hoax- that in a fervor born of his faith, Friedrich had brashly confronted them with his accusations, and that _they_ had killed him at the first opportunity to ensure his silence.” Naran hung his head in a show of shame and sorrow. “My first instinct was to defend them. After all, they have been my aides, my _companions_ for years. Needless to say, when Eber went for Baron Hohenzollern’s throat, I was beyond horrified, both by his actions and by their clandestine betrayal. By the time I moved to stop him, the baron was already dead, and so my next action was to try and protect Friedrich’s notes. When I saw Marko snatch them up and head toward the fire, I went after him, but before I could take them from him, he’d thrown them into the flames.” Naran forced a shudder through his body. “Then he took hold of me and pushed me into the fire, too. I clung to him, trying to save myself, but we both ended up falling. I managed to get up before I was too severely injured, but Marko had landed beneath me, and he wasn’t as fortunate as I. Eber tried to save his comrade, but the flames consumed him as well. I had just managed to drag them both free and extinguish their clothing when you arrived.” _ _

__The constable sank down weakly into the nearest chair. “I… Good _Lord_.” He scrubbed his hand over his face. “I knew there were those who were unhappy with the annexing between the monarchies, but I never thought…” He sighed, and then flicked his eyes toward the motionless figures once again. “So they’re alive, then?" His brow furrowed slightly. “And what about the other boy? I’d heard from Karlsruhe that he’d confirmed it _was_ a bear.”_ _

__Naran forced a taut smile to his lips. “David had just been through a traumatic experience. He said that he had blacked out after Friedrich had forced himself upon him, which is likely how he managed to escape the traitors’ notice. When he awoke, he was under Eber’s care- a man he thought he could implicitly trust. It never would have crossed David’s mind to question his word.”_ _

__The constable nodded, and then he slowly got to his feet, a distasteful look flitting over his features as Marko shifted and moaned. “They look more as if they belong in a hospital versus a cell,” he commented, and then he sighed and shook his head. “Not that it would do them any good. Based on your testament and their own damning actions, I have no doubt they’ll face execution, and sooner, rather than later. The elector is going to be livid when he learns the truth of their treachery.”_ _

__“And with good reason.” Naran gave the constable a small smile. “May God forgive me, but after taking two lives, I can’t help but feel that beheading is precisely what they deserve.”_ _

__By the end of the following week, it was finally over with. Eber and Marko had been taken to the jail, and when Godehard had been found missing the next morning, the constable had deemed the youth guilty as well, hypothesizing that he’d fled for his life as soon as he’d heard of his brother’s incarceration. As the officer had predicted, Karl Friedrich had been beyond incensed by the subterfuge and treason, and he’d promptly come to _Oberamt Mosbach_ himself to take control of the situation. After hearing Naran’s testimony, a _schauprozess_ trial was held, and execution was immediately ordered- not that Eber or Marko could have defended themselves had they been given the chance. Isolated in their cells and unable to hunt, they never recovered from Naran’s attack. Sentenced as murderers and as enemies both of the state and of the Roman Catholic Church, Eber and Marko were beheaded at dawn the following morning, and in his last act of sacrilege toward his companions, Naran had led the prayer to ask for mercy upon their souls. _ _

___Kyrie, elesion. Christe, eleison. Kyrie, eleison._ Naran snorted softly as the words echoed through his head. Praying for mercy from a god he didn’t believe in for two cursed creatures whose souls had died long ago… It seemed his blasphemy truly had no bounds. Not that it mattered. By sunrise, he and David would be long gone from Mosbach. And, while his countless years masquerading as a priest had served him well, he was ready to move on. _ _

__As he surveyed his study one last time, his gaze fell upon Godehard’s book, and after a moment, he went back and placed it into his bag. According to the story, he was meant to have been the next rising sun, but he only ever seemed to bring darkness to those around him. The emperor and his father, Wei-shan, Bao-zhi, Godehard, Marko, Eber; his existence had damned them all. Even his beloved child was cursed for all eternity because of him._ _

__“I’m ready, Naran.”_ _

__The blond turned back toward the door, some of the brooding pensiveness easing from his features when he saw his mate. Though they didn’t know where they were going, or how long they would be wandering for, that same deep devotion burned like a constant flame in David’s eyes, and it drew Naran’s thoughts from his past to their present and future. ‘ _Where they belong._ ’ Quickly, he opened his bag again, taking out the book and tossing it into the fire, turning his back to the small blaze as he picked up his satchel and crossed over to his mate. “Let’s go,” he murmured, lightly cupping David’s cheek as he brushed a soft kiss over his lips, and then silently, they slipped out of the abbey and into the night. As Mosbach and the reminders of his past rapidly faded behind them, a sense of freedom washed over the blond. For the first time in ages, he felt excited. Alive. And he didn’t owe it to Wei-shan or to anyone else who had passed through his life over the years, but to the one who would walk eternally, _unquestioningly_ by his side. Naran chuckled as the waning moon slipped behind a cloud. Perhaps the darkness had been his true destiny after all._ _


End file.
